Rosewater
by Verboten Byacolate
Summary: The worst part was not that Merlin knew exactly how the curves were placed under her mistress' gowns, but that she knew exactly how the men in her company tried to picture them. Genderbend PWP, written with whitetyger123.


The worst part was not that Merlin knew exactly how the curves were placed under her mistress' gowns, but that she knew exactly how the men in her company tried to picture them. Merlin could see their eyes follow the curve of Avery's backside and her breasts, so much larger than Merlin's and darkened a healthy gold from the sun. She didn't powder them like the other ladies of the court, and it brought color to Merlin's cheeks when they were bared to her after a bath, wet and soft and made pink by the hot water. It had taken months in Avery's service to get used to the sight of it all, so unabashedly flaunting every luscious part of her as Merlin was commanded haughtily to dry her, clothe her, braid her hair. And as months passed, Merlin had grown used to ignoring the heat that curled in her belly as she clothed her mistress in leather breeches and watched her move, powerfully, gracefully in everything she did. She ignored the uncomfortable ache as the material stretched over Avery's round ass and plump, muscled thighs. She ignored it, pretended it didn't exist, and carried on with her days because she knew that her mistress could never feel the same way. Merlin's feelings were her own secret to bear.

So when Avery shoved her down onto her wide bed for the first time after her mistress' bath, Merlin first thought that she must have done something wrong and was seconds away from a verbal beating. She only wished that Avery would get dressed first, as it was somewhat difficult to take her seriously when the cool air has brought her soft pink nipples to attention and drawn goosebumps over her golden skin. Merlin's shock was understated by her expression when Avery climbed astride her waist and brought Merlin's hands up to cup her breast and one of her hips. The look on her face said that she was only frustrated that it had taken so long for them to be placed where they were.

And ever since that first awkward, quick tumble on the edge of the bed, Avery had taken to pulling Merlin in with her to every available private room and lifting her long gowns up to be caressed whenever her greedy body felt the urge. Merlin, as fond of Avery as she was, was only too pleased to oblige.

"You like my thighs, don't you, Merlin?"

She peeked up from between Avery's legs, blue eyes wide and surprised. A dark flush quickly rose on her pale cheeks.

"Um, what?" She didn't really want to tell the princess that yes, she had the most beautiful thighs in all of Camelot. After all, Avery already knew that she was gorgeous. There was no need for her to get a bigger head.

"If you say that you like them, then I may let you kiss them. Either that or I could go over my speech for the party tomorrow and you could do my mending." Her full lips curved into a smirk, as though the subtle threat carried any weight despite the fact that she was splayed out on the bed, legs spread for her handmaiden. Avery lifted one of her legs, draping it over Merlin's back delicately. One dark curl fell over Merlin's white shoulder as her eyes followed the shapely stretch of leg that began just beneath her wide waist and plumped at her thighs and calves. Her knees were scarred from old childhood scuffles and falls, tiny white lines that ran criss-cross and parallel. Merlin ran her thumb over them with a little smile.

"Your _highness_," she drawled, stretching out the title with exaggerated reverence. "I love your thighs. But." She turned her head to run her nose along the smooth flesh of Avery's ankle. "I'd be lying if I were to say that they're the only part I love."

Avery laughed giddily, and Merlin considered that she might still be a little drunk from the wine she'd had with dinner. "Well, why don't you show me exactly the parts of me that you love?" She reached up and pulled Merlin forward by one of her large ears. It was a good thing she had a lot of hair to normally hide them, or she would just look ridiculous.

Merlin tasted the lips of her mistress, bitterweet with wine and giggles, and felt her heart swell as Avery's fingers slipped through her hair. "I need to get you undressed," she murmured, only one little hitch in her breath as Avery gently sank her teeth into Merlin's lower lip. She kissed back, sucking at Avery's lips until the princess opened her mouth and Merlin was able to pull back.

"You _do_," Avery agreed, stretching her arms above her head. The red gown was pulled taut around her body from her hips upward, but underneath the gown, her legs and maidenly parts were obscenely bare for Merlin's eyes alone. It took herculean effort for Merlin to pull away, especially when Avery reached out and took hold of her arms.

"Mistress," she warned. "Avery. For bed, I mean."

Light blue eyes regarded her with a pout. "What are you talking about? You need to undress me so we can have some fun. And when you get up to put my dress away, take yours off too. It's too annoying, always in the way." She waited for the red fabric to be pulled over her head, but Merlin seemed to be taking her time with the strings in the back. "Did you forget how to untie a knot? Seriously, Merlin!"

"Terribly sorry," Merlin said with a roll of her eyes and finally got the knot undone. Once it was, she took the dress off and stood up to put it in the cupboard. She noticed Avery struggling and tried to stifle the laugh bubbling in her chest. "Just be patient. I'll help you with your corset shortly."

"As well you should," Avery muttered. She let her hands fall into her lap, spreading her legs a bit wider over the bed to keep her balance. It was too funny to see her ladyship dressed erotically in only her corset while flopping her limbs out in such a childish manner. Merlin had to laugh.

She came back to undo the corset, and when she had the ties undone, Avery gasped in air with a low moan. "That feels wonderful. I truly hate that thing. Alright, off with your dress now, I want to suck on your small tits." She smirked while fondling her own very large breasts in comparison. She honestly did love that Merlin's were so much smaller than her own. It was fascinating and somewhat erotic to observe the differences between them.

Merlin watched Avery massage her large, round breasts for a moment before pulling away. Avery whined and reached for her, but Merlin managed to dodge her grasp. "Patience is a virtue," she tsked, and Avery just groaned, flopping onto her back. Merlin went to grab a cloth from the bowl of hot water that had begun to cool in the time that Avery had pulled her in and begun to seduce her with those legs and that mouth. "You always act so proud and conserved in public," Merlin chuckled, wringing the warm cloth out, "but once you're behind closed doors... well. Just look at the state of you."

"And do you have a problem with that? Honestly Merlin, you should be thankful that I like you. I could have had others you know. Morgana's servant girl is pretty cute." But, if she were honest, she mostly enjoyed girls with pale skin and dark hair. But obviously not Morgana; they were practically like sisters. "If you don't get over here soon, I'll start by myself. You know I will." To prove it, she reached down and started playing with the dark blond curls over her sex, but not going lower. Yet.

Obediently, Merlin returned to Avery's bed, settling herself on the edge and pressing the warm cloth to the side of Avery's neck. The princess opened her deep blue eyes and a little smile quirked on her lips. "I didn't know you'd made rosewater."

"Yes, well." It wasn't necessary to tell her that she'd magicked the scent of boiled roses into the water. "I didn't know you were considering Gwen as a lover. Not that I blame you." She cleaned the grime of the day from her mistress' neck and shoulders with the sweetly-scented cloth. "She's lovely. And you do seem to like servant girls."

"Right. And Gwen is such a sweet girl, so good at her job. I would never have to send her to the stocks for breaking a vase or something. But where would the fun be in that?" Avery reached up and twirled a finger in Merlin's dark hair, and then tugged her forward. "Kiss me." She tugged even harder, and Merlin obediently leaned forward to press their lips together. Avery was annoyed that her handmaiden hadn't yet undressed, and so she started lifting the scratchy material up. Merlin made a noise and pulled back, pressing her wine-warmed mistress down into the blankets.

"Let me finish washing you," she said, lowering her left hand to the dark gold curls that covered her lady's maidenhood, "and then I'll take care of this." Avery tilted her hips and whined, but Merlin was not to be deterred. She returned to the bowl to freshen the cloth and when she returned, Merlin wiped down Avery's front, carefully avoiding the most obvious points of interest before tapping one wide hip so that the princess would roll onto her stomach. With a huff, Avery complied, and Merlin cleaned her freckled and lean-muscled back. She pressed one dry kiss to Avery's shoulder.

Avery whined deep in her throat, and wiggled her butt at Merlin. "Get on with it will you? It's not like I was rolling in the mud today! Besides, ever since I turned twenty, father hasn't let me do any sparring with the boys. I'm stuck with boring old archery," she grumbled, momentarily forgetting her lust in favour of talking about the unfairness of being a girl. "I mean really, I can even beat Sir Leon on a good day, and he's as good as they come!" But it wasn't 'womanly', and no potential suitor would want to see her running around with a sword. But even being stuck with archery was better than the long banquets she had to sit through now.

Merlin's lips parted to mouth along the rose-scented shoulder blade presented to her so generously. "I miss your sparring, too," she confessed, and only realized that what she said might have been unnatural when Avery peered at her oddly over one tan, freckled shoulder. "I-I mean... you, um... I miss preparing you for it?"

"No, you miss watching me don't you? It's understandable. I mean, I was amazing at it. Did it make you want to kiss me after when you would massage my shoulders? Did it make you nice and wet? Did you want me to do things to you, even back then?" Avery laughed and flipped over, so that she was once again on her back. "I'm clean enough, leave it. Get undressed."

Merlin scrambled to pull the clothes from her body, tossing her blue gown to the side with haste before climbing atop the princess. She fitted her long fingers around Avery's strong thighs and squeezed. "Alright, yes," she admitted, and once Avery's eyes were on hers, Merlin let go to pull the undergarments from her waist until her own scrawny hips and legs were bared to the candlelight. "My body responded... somewhat indecently to the sight of you in those fitted trousers fighting with men twice your mass and winning. You have brilliant form, and, well... at least I was better at hiding it than those green knights you used to train."

Avery's grin grew bigger, and Merlin could almost see her ego growing as well. "Did it make you jealous when they would look at me? What would you have done if I took one of them to my chambers? Would you have been angry? Or would you just have stayed quiet and cleaned up the sheets after?" She loved taunting Merlin, seeing how far her maidservant would go for her. So far, she hadn't found that out, because it seemed Merlin would do anything for her.

"That's your business," Merlin mumbled, "but I don't enjoy thinking about it." It put her in something of a melancholy mood to know that one day, her mistress would take a young prince into her marital bed and share this intimacy with him. So she preferred not to dwell on it. It was easier to do when Avery didn't bring it up for the sake of her own ego. But the princess did love her verbal lashes, so she remained silent.

Avery sat up and took Merlin's hands and put them on her breasts, like she normally did, and pulled her so she was practically in her lap. "I don't enjoy thinking about it either. I'm not at all attracted to men. But one day, father will marry me off to some fat king, and I'll have his child. Of course you'll have to come along, and maybe I'll give you a nice big room so that I can sleep there all the time. And of course, you would change the baby. I wouldn't want to do that."

The handmaiden did her best not to roll her eyes, purely out of habitual politeness, and situated herself more comfortably astride the queen-to-be after she'd pushed her back down. "Maybe I'll get married, too," Merlin said flippantly, pinching the pert nipples between her thumbs as Avery had always enjoyed.

The princess gave a slightly quivering laugh, but hardly enough to be noticed. "You'll never get married. You're not allowed to leave me. Unless I fire you. But even then you won't get married." Avery then decided that she wanted to do more than play with their breasts, so she pushed Merlin down flat on her back, one of her delicate hands moving down over Merlin's taut stomach. "A man wouldn't be able to satisfy you. Only I know how to do that."

Merlin's honest eyes widened and she gasped, her body growing hot when Avery's palms moved over her hip bones and down to her sensitive thighs. She parted them without being prompted, easily and hastily to accommodate Avery's intentions. Merlin could not help but wonder if she had become something of a replacement for her mistress' mother along the long journey of their relationship. She did rely heavily on Merlin, keeping her around possessively despite the princess' flirting around with all of the young knights and lords, only to sulk and throw fits and issue occasionally unreasonable demands when she was feeling particularly childish. If that were so, and Avery truly found her a comfort that she'd never experienced with her mother dead, then of course Merlin intended to stay by her side. Every person deserved someone they could retreat to in their times of need. Merlin could and would fill that role until Avery needed her no longer. If the dragon had been right, that could be a very long time.

_Two sides of the same coin_. She reached up and unwound Avery's braid, stroking the waves and curls that tumbled over her shoulders once freed.

The princess bent her neck, sucking on one of Merlin's pert nipples. She also trailed her hand through the coarse black hair between the handmaiden's thighs, and rubbed in the slit until she could the small bump that indicated her clit. Merlin's hips shuddered, making Avery grin and stroke harder. "What do you want? Should I get a candle and fuck you with it, or should I fuck you with my tongue?"

"Avery!" Merlin gasped, her face and neck flushed with embarrassment, and the rest of her pink from arousal. Months, and she still wasn't used to the princess' crass mouth when it came to making love. "I... well, you, obviously..." Awkwardly she indicated toward Avery's face, though she could not seem to meet her eyes.

"Oh? And you think you deserve the tongue of the princess of Camelot in you? Maybe you've forgotten your place, Merlin." Avery pulled back and looked down at her, waited until the maidservant opened her mouth to apologize. "I'm joking, you idiot. All you have to do is say please."

The very tips of Merlin's large ears went red and she frowned. "Please," she echoed obediently. When Avery clicked her tongue, Merlin looked away. "Please... use your tongue," she mumbled, embarrassed though Avery could feel her growing ever more slick beneath the pads of her fingers. She stroked the sensitive passage once more just to see Merlin shudder.

"Well, since you asked so nicely." Avery pushed one of Merlin's legs up, caressing the underside of her skinny calf, and leaned on the bed on one elbow. She licked up where her finger had been just before, and again harder. Then she pulled back. "One of these days, I am going to get what men use to shave their beards, and I will shave you down here. It will look so smooth, and you will have to walk around all day, knowing that if anyone saw you down here, they would know you were taken."

Merlin hissed her name, and it only made Avery smile. She could see the quiet fire that burned in her handmaiden's eyes every day, the desire to display her distaste at Avery's selfish whims and words reigned in so expertly. It was only during intimate moments in the privacy of Avery's bed that Merlin ever could be coaxed to revealing her truer, more dangerous emotions, and and it sent a thrill up Avery's spine. "They would ask who by," she returned quietly, and Avery could see that fire burning bright, "and I would have to lie. So the point would be lost."

Avery lifted her head and put her chin on Merlin's lower stomach. "But they would know that you weren't free, so they wouldn't dare touch you." Then she pinched her inner thigh hard. "Besides, you wouldn't be able to show anyone anyway; you would be too embarrassed. So I would be the only one who would see it." She wouldn't let Merlin be with anyone else anyway.

"You've no_ idea _what I get up to," Merlin huffed, carding a hand through Avery's hair with a gentle tug. And it was true; Avery didn't know about the kisses with the changer boy Fayer in the dungeon, or the childish explorations between she and Will as teenagers, or the briefest of glances she'd shared with Morgana. If she thought her completely and totally focused on Avery alone, she was wrong. And at the same time she was also so, so right.

The princess went back to licking, but of course she couldn't stay silent for long. "You had better not have been with anyone since we've been doing this. You are mine, and I don't want someone else touching you." After all, she was the princess, if she wanted something or someone, she would get it. No one else was allowed to see Merlin like this.

"That's not fair," Merlin breathed, closing her eyes to savor the sensation of her mistress' mouth on the most intimate of places. When Avery huffed a laugh and slid a finger inside of her Merlin gasped and grabbed her shoulders, shoving her off and down onto her back. In one swift move, Merlin sat astride her stomach, every part of her throbbing. "You speak of your potential lovers all the time, you selfish little..."

Avery put her hand over Merlin's mouth, effectively shutting her up. "That's different. Now, since you pushed me down like this, I'm guessing you want to take charge? So put your mouth to good use." She grinned and spread her legs apart, in case she didn't understand her meaning. Merlin, ever the clever one, let the irritation drain out of her and moved back until she was sitting up on her knees, towering high above Avery.

"Sit against the headboard," she said, reaching over the side of the bed, pretending to reach for something as she conjured two silk scarves.

The princess did as she was told, because Merlin was very good with her tongue, so she was willing to do almost anything for it. Avery ran her leg up Merlin's back as she came back up. The handmaiden practically pulsated with desire when she caught sight of the woman, golden limbs spread and a cheeky smirk on her face. Merlin lifted the scarves, a deep, passionate red, and nodded above Avery's head. "Lift your arms toward the bedposts."

"What? I don't want you to tie me up! Come on Merlin, just get on with it, will you?" Although, the idea of being tied up was perhaps not as bad an idea as she let on. But the humiliation of being tied by a servant... Of course, they would be easily torn if she needed to. Obediently, Merlin halted and watched her mistress carefully.

"You might like it," she suggested offhandedly and shrugged a bit. Merlin knew very well that sometimes to coax Avery into anything, one had to be subtle and sly. "I just thought that maybe it would be interesting. I've heard that surrendering yourself to your lover's attentions is powerfully pleasurable, but we don't have to, of course. Actually, you're right, silly idea."

Avery glanced at the silk scarves. Well, they _were _her favourite colour... "Well, if you're going to pout about it, then fine. But not too tight. I can't have bruises on my wrists for the whole court to see." She lifted her arms a bit, trying to find a comfortable position to have them in for a long period of time. In record time, Merlin knotted the scarves to each bedpost and to her individual wrists before pulling back to examine the fruits of her labor.

Avery lay spread entirely for Merlin's eyes only, her powerful body open and flushed in her desire for Merlin's touch. She pushed back a dark lock of hair from her face as she laid out flat between Avery's legs and stroked her plush thighs, watching the muscles in the princess' belly dance at the sensation.

"Are you just going to stare?" Avery snapped, obviously feeling the need to assert her superiority because of the situation. She licked her bottom lip, and watched Merlin's eyes follow the action.

"I might," Merlin replied with a soft little smile. She closed her eyes and pressed her nose into the dark golden curls between Avery's legs, breathing in the musky scent of her. She squeezed the sensitive thighs and grinned when the pressure resulted in an undignified squeak from her ladyship above. "How shall I serve you, mistress?"

The princess felt her muscles jump at the puff of warm air, and she groaned with want. "You know perfectly well, so get your useless tongue to work!" Maybe she shouldn't complain about Merlin's constant talking, because that might have been what made her so good at... everything else to do with her tongue. But Avery liked to complain, so she would complain as much as she wanted. Merlin certainly didn't seem to mind. In fact, the look in her eyes was the very definition of fondness as she licked a slow line up between Avery's wet folds, circling lazily around her clit in a way that pulled the pleasure from her slowly, but strongly, and soon Avery's hips were tilted and reaching for Merlin without her consent.

Avery sucked in a shaking breath, her intimate muscles clenching at the probing of Merlin's tongue. "Oh... Yes, yes, right there, right th-there!" She pressed her foot against the bed, pushing up. Her hands were twisting in the red silk, sometimes pulling on it. "Oh yes, take me with your tongue, just like that!" She let out a moan as Merlin trust her tongue inside her, and used her finger to stimulate Avery's clitorus.

Merlin let out a warm breath and glanced up when Avery's breath hitched at the stimulation, and the undone look on her lovely face made Merlin smile. She kissed the wet pink flesh tenderly and slid a finger inside of Avery's tightness. Her fingers were long and clever, and despite what Avery said about the rest of her, Merlin knew that she could never dismiss those deft digits. Licking her lips to clean them of the musky juices, Merlin kissed and skimmed her teeth along her princess' pale inner thigh.

"Mnm, you're s-so good at that." Avery wanted to reach down to dig her fingers in Merlin's dark locks, but she was stopped by the silk ties. She groaned in frustration, driving her crazy that she could only feel and not touch. "Ah, if you untie me and get your ass over here, I can do you too." Mostly she wanted to be untied, but the idea of licking Merlin while she was being licked was incredibly enticing. She expected Merlin to comply immediately; after all, who would deny themselves pleasure when it was offered to them? Certainly Avery wouldn't. But to her surprise, Merlin did not move, and acted almost as though Avery hadn't spoken at all. When she yanked at the ties and barked Merlin's name to get her attention, she received a sharp nip to her thigh that sent jolts straight to the heat between her legs.

Avery moaned, hips twisting slightly to try and get Merlin's finger right where she needed it, because it was so close. "Merlin! Untie me and I can lick you back, just let me -ah..." Her head fell back even though she didn't remember thinking about doing it. She could feel the heat building inside of her, and every little push of Merlin's fingers sliding inside of her and around the sensitive nub just above her folds brought her closer and closer until all she could say was her handmaiden's name as she reached the brink, teetered over the edge-

And then suddenly, Merlin pulled away. Eyes wide, Avery looked up and snarled. "What the _hell _do you think you're doing? I was so close!" She ached and throbbed for Merlin's touch, and bit back a plea for her to return. Merlin sat up between her legs and smiled.

"Patience, mistress."

Now that she had control, she wasn't going to easily give it up, even if the control was mostly an illusion. They both knew that Avery could easily break the silk scarves.

"Oh god Merlin, touch me now or I swear I will put you in the dungeons for a day," Avery practically sobbed, between her legs throbbing with the pleasure that had suddenly been ended. Merlin shushed her like she might a child with a tantrum and ran her hands down the golden expanse of Avery's legs.

"You'd threaten a poor girl in the position you're in? That isn't a very good way to build confidence in your subjects." She squeezed Avery's plump calves and thighs on her way up and finally braced both of her hands on either side of the princess' hips, throwing one leg over to straddle Avery's right thigh and settling herself until she could feel the blonde's heat pressed, flushed and intimate and slick with arousal, right against her own.

Avery instinctively ground her hips up, groaning as she actually felt how wet Merlin was. "Oh damn, yes, yes, yeah, ah! Just untie me, please." She cringed after the 'P' word accidentally slipped off the tongue. She never begged! But it was so _good_, and it could be so much better if she could touch and feel and _move_. But Merlin ignored her (a habit that was forming at an alarming rate) and rotated her hips in a slow circle, resulting in a gasp from the both of them. She did it again and again, and her pace was only thrown when Avery insisted on trying to match her. And slowly but surely, after Merlin pushed her hips down and continued the motions, she brought Avery right back to the state of desperate, thrumming arousal she'd been in before.

The blonde gave throaty moans, wishing that she had enough slack in the bonds to lean forward and kiss Merlin, even though she was being insolent and not listening to her orders. "Oh, oh god, yes!" She threw her head back, grounding her hips up to get more friction.

"_Quiet_," Merlin hissed, though she could not help the pleased flush that warmed her cheeks and ears. It was more than a little gratifying when Avery lost control and gave her inhibitions away for the pleasure Merlin was able to bring her. "We'll be caught!"

"No one would -_ah_- come into my room without knocking. Besides you of course." No matter how many times she had told Merlin, she would never knock, unless something was actually wrong.

"Shall I stop then?" When Avery's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to protest, Merlin moved their hips together, effectively cutting off whatever verbal attack was to come. "Coming into your room unannounced. I didn't - mmmh... think it bothered you."

Avery bit her lip, trying to stop a moan from coming. "You -_ah!_- can come into my room whenever you want, if you t-take care of me right now." Because she needed it, she really did, and she had been on the precipice of climax for a few very long minutes already.

Merlin smiled, and Avery knew that it could either bode very well for her, or terribly, deliciously, tortuously not-so-good. And, to her dismay, the handmaid lifted herself away from Avery's body. She cursed and wailed and felt tears of frustration prickle at the corners of her eyes, and she was so caught up in her tantrum that she almost didn't notice the deft fingers pulling the silk binds loose. When she was free, she made as if to grab Merlin, but to her surprise, before she had the chance, the servant girl pushed her down instead until she was sunken in a pile of down pillows. Merlin kissed her hotly, reaching down to cup Avery's maidenhood and stroked the slippery nub until Avery began to keen out of desperation.

Within seconds, Avery came to her first climax of the night, finally getting the friction that she most desperately needed. But the princess knew that she could go through many orgasms in one night, so she was not interested in finishing their activities. She kissed back, not as desperately as seconds before, but deeply nonetheless. Merlin's fingers at her nether regions was once again gaining her interest, and she sighed at how wet they felt, covered with her fluids.

"You're so greedy, you know that," Merlin murmured as her fingers reached deep inside, stroking the sensitized flesh with care. "Your whole body is. Every last part of you." She mouthed along the side of Avery's neck, tasting roses and salt.

Avery grinned up lazily at her, and lifted one of her legs to wrap around Merlin's skinny one. "Only for you." Which wasn't really true, but it was true enough at the moment.

And of course, good old romance-less Merlin had the nerve to laugh against her skin. "What?" Avery demanded, and Merlin's laughter only increased.

"I- haha! I shouldn't call the future queen a liar, but..."

"Oh shut up, Merlin. I'm sure you have a few lies of your own. You look like an open book, but those are the most suspicious ones," Avery said with an exaggerated frown, though truth be told she couldn't really picture Merlin lying about anything. But there were plenty of things she hadn't thought Merlin could do, that she'd proved otherwise.

"Me? Never." She smiled down at the princess below her and stole another kiss before removing her fingers from inside the monarch and lifting herself up. "Did you need anything else?"

"Your head on a plate would be nice, but other than that, I would like you to spread your legs so I can lick your rose until you scream." Avery smirked up at her, running a soft hand over Merlin's skinny hips. It was really amazing that she had any curves at all.

"My _rose_?" Merlin said, eyebrows lifted high in amusement. She could only squeal when Avery rolled her onto her side until they were facing each other along the bed. It struck Merlin then, staring across a pillow at the cocky, self-assured princess that that was going to be someone's future someday - lying like that beside Avery every night. Someone would wake up to her, mussed hair and all, and he would touch her freely, as a man does with his wife. Someone would live with her, laugh with her, give her children and help her rule Camelot. And Merlin was to stand back and watch it happen, the other side of her coin being loved by someone else. She reached out and cupped a sun-kissed cheek after tucking a brilliant golden strand of hair behind Avery's ear.

Oblivious to her bedmate's train of thought, Avery pushed one of her long legs up and trailed a finger between her folds, finding that small bump, and she went down to lick at it enthusiastically. Merlin's hips jumped and she gasped, finding purchase in the princess' thick blonde hair. Every little stroke of the tongue sent her panting and she had to bite on her wrist to keep from crying out when Avery sucked ever so gently on the throbbing, sensitive little nub.

Avery reached up, tweaking one of her pert nipples. She lapped at a thick drip of Merlin's fluids. It was amazing knowing that it was her making the dark-haired girl this wet. She reached a finger inside where she was licking, crooking it slightly. Merlin all but wailed, and her free hand gripped the sheets below tightly. "Avery," she breathed, spreading her legs wider. "Avery, please, _oh_..."

Avery smirked up at the hazy handmaiden, who whimpered at the mischievous light in her mistress' eyes.

With her free hand, Avery massaged her inner thigh, feeling the silky skin there. She really did love Merlin's legs, how long and lean they were. But right now, she just focused on her tongue, knowing that Merlin was getting close. It helped that the breathless girl told her so very ardently with both her mouth and her body. "Avery... I'm close, I can feel it," she gasped. Her entire body, long and cotton-white, bowed and arched and rose like a wave as she neared the precipice of pleasure. "Yes... yes...!"

With one more crook of her finger, Avery heard Merlin practically sobbing, and there was an explosion of juices on her tongue that she lapped up. She grinned and pulled away, looking up at her handmaiden's sated face from between her thighs.

Merlin lay there for a moment, panting and staring dazedly at the inside of her eyelids before slowly, agonizingly, she opened them and sat. Glancing once at her mistress' face, Merlin gave a little huff of laughter and grabbed the rose-scented cloth, now cool, from atop her own gown and tilted Avery's face up by the chin. "Look at the state of you," she sighed, wiping away her own proof of pleasure from around Avery's mouth. "You're just making more work for me."

Avery smiled and tilted her head into the cloth. "The water's cold. And besides, I think it was you who made the mess." She thought that maybe they would be able to do something more tonight, but not right now. Merlin always got tired after she burst from pleasure.

The young woman stroked her mistress' cheek with the cloth for a moment longer before gesturing toward Avery's bare ass and clearing her throat. "Would you like me to clean you up, or do you think you can handle it?"

The blonde gave a chuckle at that. "Well, it's your job, isn't it?" She laid down on her back, spreading her legs once again. Avery twitched when the cold cloth touched her sensitive skin, but quickly grew used to it.

"Look at you," Merlin chastised with the barest hint of a smile on her face. "So lascivious. You're a lewd one, highness." Her inner folds were positively glistening from between her parted thighs, and Merlin cleaned around the delicate flesh gingerly.

Once she was finished, Avery moved under the covers and held them up for Merlin. "Don't even think about going back to your chambers. Gaius won't suspect a thing; you _always _disappear randomly."

Merlin was sorely tempted, but she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and glanced at the door. She supposed she could magick it so that no one would feel compelled to enter Avery's chambers, but that might be a problem if there was an emergency in the kingdom; there frequently was. "I can't, Avery, I.. if someone were to come in and see-"

"They wouldn't enter without knocking first, as I've told you," Avery all but whined. "Merlin, as your future queen, I order you to come lay with me."

"I think that's already been taken care of," Merlin mumbled, dry wit lacing her tone.

Avery rolled her blue eyes and pointed to the empty spot beside her. "Here. Now." She waited until Merlin started moving towards her. "And besides, I'm sure the servants in this castle have seen much worse things than a princess sleeping with her handmaiden. At least we are not men; we can still claim that we weren't doing anything." As long as whoever might enter didn't notice that they were both naked. Which was an unlikely thing to hope for, but there was no need to give Merlin any more reason to leave.

Once the raven-haired girl had tucked herself away under the covers, Avery rolled to her side and pulled her close. "You're too thin," she complained. "It feels like your hip is going to pierce my stomach."

"Then don't sleep with me." She sighed, trying to get her curly hair behind her so it wasn't in either of their faces. But, she had to admit, it was very comfortable here with her princess, in her royal bed, kept warm by the thick blanket and bare flesh. If Avery kept squirming, though, neither of them would get any sleep. When she realized what was going on, Merlin rolled her eyes.

"Stop trying to entice me by rubbing your breasts on my arm. I'm not going to satisfy you again tonight. I'm tired."

"But Merlin," Avery groaned, "it could be quick."

"Hush now, you great, lewd idiot." Merlin pressed a quick kiss to her mistress' forehead. "We'll talk about your libido come morning."

She whined deep in her throat. "But Merlin! You only satisfied me once tonight, usually you do it two or three times! It's not fair!" Avery could pull off a very convincing pout with her very full lips and blue eyes, but it was obvious Merlin wasn't falling for it this time. "I could order you to."

"I would ignore it."

"You are the worst servant ever."

"That's not what you said earlier." Merlin grinned, closing her eyes. "Quite the opposite in fact."

"I can't be held accountable for the things I say under the influence of-"

_"Oh, Merlin, yes, there- there- yes, oh!"_

"Shut up!"

_"Don't stop, ah, please, faster, more!"_

Avery pressed their lips together hard enough to firmly shut her maidservant up. Maybe a few hours in the stocks would do her good. But, of course it was an empty threat. She would never punish Merlin for anything that happened when they were being intimate; it just seemed wrong.

When she finally pulled back, Merlin glanced down at her in the dim light of the moon filtering in from Avery's window. She was so lovely with her pale hair and dark eyes, her full lips that knew only the silliest and bravest of words. Stroking the soft strands of hair that fell over Avery's forehead, Merlin sighed and, before she could stop the thoughts from tumbling out of her mouth, she murmured, "What am I to do with myself once you're happily married?" She only realized that the thought had been spoken when Avery's drooping eyes were suddenly fully alert and boring into hers. Flustered with shock and embarrassment, Merlin began to stutter an apology and avoided the princess' gaze.

"It'll be an arranged marriage with a man, there will be nothing happy about it. The only happy thing would be that I will have you by my side. He will have his concubines, and I will have you, and I will sleep with him only when I have to. You... will stay with me, won't you?" She wasn't sure that she would be able to stay married to some old king if she didn't have Merlin with her. Who would make her laugh? Who would she make fun of? And surely no one could make her feel so good, definitely not the man she married, who no doubt wouldn't be able to find anything on the female body besides where to put his cock.

"Until I die," Merlin promised, and finally met Avery's eyes again. Certainly, being the queen's concubine was not the ideal, but then, what was? What could she have possibly hoped for otherwise? Merlin pressed her nose to Avery's temple and sighed. "I could not leave you, even if I wanted to."

Avery felt her heart skip, but she hid it very well. "Well of course. You couldn't live without me. Now, if you're not going to pleasure me again, then we might as well go to sleep. Have breakfast ready for me in the morning. It is your job, after all." She grinned and kissed Merlin on her nose, then laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

Merlin rolled her eyes and rested her arm over the princess' waist, settling in only too comfortably in her bed and in her arms. "As you wish, dearest clodpole."


End file.
